Education level

The Dutch part of the Survey  European Union - Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) was used to determine the income and education level of parents. In 2005 this survey included questions on “intergenerational transmission of poverty” in a one-off module.

The survey population consisted of persons aged 25 to 65 years who were no longer living with (one of) their parents. The sample included more than 5 thousand people. To establish any differences between generations, the respondents were divided into  two generation groups: 25–44 year-olds and 45–64 year-olds.

To determine the financial position of the parents, the respondents were asked about the extent of financial problems in the parental home at the time they were aged between 12 and 16 years. The education level of the parents was also asked in retrospect.